Windies A falter in whitewash bid as Lions win final match

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – West Indies A failed in their bid for a second successive whitewash when they went down to England Lions by seven wickets, in the third and final one-dayer here Sunday night.

Chasing a modest 167 for victory at Coolidge Cricket Ground, the visitors reached their target in the 32nd over, to complete their first success of the tour after losing the two previous matches in the series and all three four-day “Tests”.

Sam Hain, in only his third match for the Lions, led the run chase with an unbeaten 54 while Alex Davies got 46 and opener Nick Gubbins, 34.

With only a small total to overhaul, Davies and Gubbins ensured there were no hiccups up front when they posted 87 off 70 deliveries for the first wicket.

Davies struck five fours and a couple of sixes off 36 balls while the left-handed Gubbins faced 39 deliveries and counted six fours.

Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall (2-26) got the breakthrough when he had Gubbins caught in the deep, pulling a long hop in the 12th over and it triggered a slide where three wickets went down quickly for four runs in the space of 12 balls.

Davies followed in the next over, caught behind attempting to reverse hit left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer and captain Keaton Jennings completed a miserable series when he was lbw to Cornwall without scoring.

With their side stuttering on 91 for three in the 14th, Hain and Sam Northeast, who finished 12 not out, came together in an unbroken 79-run, fourth wicket stand to deny Windies A any further success.

Hain followed up his hundred in the opener by striking five fours and a six in a 63-ball knock while Northweast faced 51 deliveries and struck two fours.

Earlier, Test batsman Roston Chase top-scored with 67 but Windies A could only manage 166 all out in the 39th over.

Jahmar Hamilton got 29 but was one of just three batmen in double figures and along with Chase, was the only one to pass 20.

Opting to bat first, Windies A slumped to 28 for three in the seventh over before Chase engineered to two stands to prop up the innings.

First, he put on 38 for the fourth wicket with Kavem Hodge (13) and when two wickets fell for 10 runs, he added a further 66 for the sixth wicket with Hamilton.

Chase, with scores of 0 and 9 in his two previous innings in the series, struck six fours in 89 balls at the crease while Hamilton faced 36 deliveries and belted a pair of fours and a six.

The right-handed Chase eventually perished in the 33rd over, bowled missing a sweep at leg-spinner Matt Parkinson (4-26) and when Hamilton top-edged to cover in the bowler’s next over, the last five wickets fell for 24 runs.